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Sunday, July 13, 2014

Judy

Judy's phone number was the first Fair Hill International number I programmed in to my phone when I started here waaay back in 2003. It's not because she was the first person I worked with. That actually was John Ryan. It was, rather, because A) John Ryan never ever answered his phone and B) Judy knew everything.
Needed to know where the stakes and the twine were? You asked Judy.

Needed to know where anything was in our overflowing storage barn? You just called Judy.

Needed to know how much money you had to spend on the puppet show guy? Judy would tell you.

Needed a jump decorated? A path marked for horses to find their way to the start of cross country? A galloping lane fixed or moved? Judy. Judy. Judy.

Needed a precious digging bar for a task? You could ask Judy, and she'd let you borrow it, but you knew she'd track you down to get it back. Because digging bars are few and far between, and you need to keep track of those things.

Had an idea for how to make things run more smoothly at an event? You ran it past Judy first because she'd been to every event for the past 25 years and she had no problem telling you that we had tried that before, and it didn't work for xyz reasons.

But mostly you just called Judy because you knew she would answer the phone, and she would answer it with a smile in her voice, and she would be helpful.

I asked Judy last weekend how the Starter Trials went the weekend before, without her there. Her reply? "I think that three people took care of it." And that's going to be the hard truth for us from here on out. It's going to take three or so phenomenal people to do what Judy did for us for the past 25 years. And even still it won't be done as well, and certainly not as cheerfully.